EF MAY 11: VO HEART STRIKES AT BIG ODDS

By Graham Potter | Monday, May 13, 2013

EAGLE FARM, MAY 11, 2013.

Track - Slow 7. Rail - True.
Bollinger Champagne Classic - 1200m.
1 Vo Heart; 2 Vilanova; 3 Global Dream; 4 Hooked.
Time: 1-12.15. Last 600: 36.03.
Margins: 0.20; 1.50.

DAVID FOWLER’S RACE WRAP:

(Fowler’s pre-race comment: “I’m happy to be with my tip Vo Heart because I know it has got speed to take a position. We know it is good in the wet. He scored two runs ago at Doomben and then ran into Hooked and wasn’t beaten all that far. Hooked is a $4.40 chance and Vo Heart is $13. I can’t understand the difference in the market. Vo Heart has got a great chance).

Fowler tipped Vo Heart in his Saturday morning column ‘David Fowler selects …’ on HRO where he also named Vilanova as the danger. Be sure to follow Fowler’s form this Saturday on this site).

“Vo Heart … as we said before the race … amazing odds.

“Of course, when the track became wet there were no dramas there. He was proven on a heavy track two runs ago at Doomben.

“A good performance. He jumped well. Couldn’t get in and then had to travel three deep, but ran to the lead soon after straightening.

“Vilanova got up on the inside but wasn’t able to peg back the margin.

“It was a tough win. Had to do the hard yards outside the leading group. Boxed on strongly in the straight.”

WINNER FEEDBACK:

TRAINER DARRYL HANSEN:

“I am that excited, it’s not funny.

“It’s really special for me because I’ve said to the owner all along this is the best horse I’ve ever touched, so I just hope all that I hope for comes to fruition.

“I have had some good horses, but I got this bloke as a yearling and all along I’ve rated him as the best horses I’ve ever laid a hand on.

“Today was a stepping stone. He has still got a lot to learn and he is still doing a lot of things wrong, but we’ll just progress him start by start … hopefully, ultimately all the way to a Group 1.”

JOCKEY EDDIE WILKINSON:

“He presents really well the horse and he obviously goes pretty good as well.

“With the rain that came … I was pretty happy about that because two starts ago it was a heavy track at Doomben and he really handled that well and it was probably what he needed today.

“I just watched the first race and the winner came down three wide and with more rain you know it was going to be better scouting out wide a bit.

“It’s unfortunate for the club. I mean the track looks in terrific order, but it doesn’t take a lot of rain and it messes it up a bit so I think it is getting closer to heavy now.”

*After this race (the second of the day) the official track rating plummeting from a Dead 4 to a Slow 7. It was start of a landslide downgrade on the day.

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:

Winner (Vo Heart): 11.00 out to 13.00.
Favourite (Hooked): 1.00 out to 4.40 in to 4.20. Finished fourth.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:

Following rain showers, the track was downgraded to Dead 4 at 12.30 pm.

Hooked (R. Wiggins) was slow to begin and then soon after the start knuckled when racing tight between Miss Sunset (P. Robl) and Tints (T. Bell). Architect (J. Byrne) jumped awkwardly, shifted in and bumped Vilanova (H. Bowman).

Near the 1000m Bound For Earth (D. Browne) and Miss Sunset bumped.

Architect over-raced in the early stages.

Passing the 700m Octane Flyer (R. McMahon) improved on to the heels of Architect and had to be restrained by its rider.

Vo Heart (E. Wilkinson), Into The Red (C. Munce) and Tints raced wide throughout.

Near the 500m Architect shifted out and bumped Into The Red, which was taken out on to Tints.

M. Rodd, the rider of Goth Girl, reported that the horse carried its head quite low and was inclined to lay in in the early part of the straight, giving him the indication that it was not handling the prevailing track conditions. M. Rodd said he was able to place the horse under full pressure inside the final 200m, however it did not quicken in the going.

Stewards sought an explanation from trainer J. O'Shea with respect to the tactics adopted on Bound For Earth, which appeared to be in contrast to those employed when it won at its first start in a race.

Mr O'Shea explained that the horse settled in a forward position from a good alley on that occasion without being pressured by its rider. He added that today his instructions were consistent with those issued on that occasion that the filly be ridden with cover. His explanation was accepted.

Following the running of this race the track was further downgraded to Slow 7 retrospective.

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